Dynamix

Nicely done A similar technique to what you do is much easier than what I listed.

Step 1 - Load thumb and crop
(see above)

Step 2 - Sharpen image
Bring up the Unsharp mask options window (Menu: Filter>Sharpen>Unsharp Mask..).
These values can be modified to your liking, but something similar to: Amount 83%, Radius 18px, Threshold 0 levels

Step 3 - Adjust brightness/contrast
(see above) - I used the following values: Brightness +24, Contrast -10. Again, adjust as you see fit.

Step 4 - Glow effect
Duplicate the original thumb layer (see above), Add a Gaussian Blur (see above) - I used 1.3px. Adjust the layer mode to Screen, Overlay, or Soft Light depending on what looks best, then reduce the opacity somewhere between 50-80%




Patrick

__________________